The Sacré-Cœur Basilica sits atop the highest natural point in Paris, watching over the city like a white guardian. Tourists flock to its steps for the breathtaking sunset views, but few understand the engineering marvels and spiritual dedication inside. Surprisingly, the church is not just a building sitting on a hill; it effectively holds the hill together. Furthermore, its distinct white color comes from a chemical reaction, not a coat of paint. Prepare to climb the stairs of the Mount of Martyrs.
Sacré Coeur Basilica in Paris
The Sacré Coeur Basilica effectively holds the hill together. The ground beneath Montmartre is full of holes from centuries of gypsum mining. Therefore, the architect dug eighty-three pits, each thirty-three meters deep, and filled them with stone pillars to support the massive structure.
The stone cleans itself when it rains. The architect chose “Château-Landon” stone because it secretes calcite when wet. Consequently, the rain acts as a natural bleach that keeps the church sparkling white despite the city pollution.
Nuns have prayed there non-stop for over a century. Since 1885, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart have maintained a “perpetual adoration.” This means at least one person is praying in the basilica twenty-four hours a day, every day, without interruption.
It houses one of the heaviest bells in the world. The “Savoyarde” bell weighs nineteen tons, which is roughly the weight of three adult elephants. It is so heavy that thirteen horses had to drag it up the hill in 1895.
The mosaic in the apse is one of the largest in the world. The artwork depicts Christ in Majesty and covers nearly 475 square meters. Thus, the massive golden image dominates the interior and glows when the sun hits it.
The construction was entirely funded by small donations. Unlike many monuments paid for by the government, the French people financed the “National Vow” through modest contributions. You can still see the names of donors carved into the stones of the walls.
Critics originally hated the design. When Paul Abadie won the competition, many Parisians called the Romano-Byzantine style ugly and compared it to a “cream puff.” However, it eventually became one of the most beloved landmarks in the city.
World War I delayed the consecration. The builders finished the structure in 1914, but the war prevented the official opening ceremony. Therefore, the church waited five years until 1919 to finally open its doors as a consecrated basilica.
St. Denis supposedly carried his own head up the hill. Legend says Romans decapitated the patron saint of Paris at the bottom of Montmartre. He then picked up his head and walked up the slope, making the site holy long before the basilica arrived.
The crypt is almost as large as the church itself. The architect designed a massive underground complex that extends under the entire footprint of the building. It contains statues, tombs, and a relic of the Sacred Heart.
Two bronze statues guard the entrance. King Saint Louis IX and Joan of Arc sit on horseback above the main porch. Their green bronze contrasts sharply with the white stone, representing the two protector saints of France.
It sits on the site of a bloody uprising. The Paris Commune began on this exact hill in 1871 when generals were executed in a garden nearby. Consequently, many people view the basilica as an attempt to “atone” for the violence of that year.
The view from Sacré Coeur Basilica is the second highest in Paris. Only the Eiffel Tower offers a higher vantage point of the capital. From the dome, you can see for nearly thirty miles on a clear day.
Photographers are strictly forbidden inside. To maintain the holy atmosphere and respect the perpetual prayer, guards stop anyone from taking pictures. Thus, the interior remains a quiet sanctuary rather than a chaotic tourist trap.
Finally, the architect died before seeing his masterpiece. Paul Abadie passed away in 1884, shortly after the construction of the foundation began. Five other architects took over the project to finish his vision over the next thirty years.
